Squeegee for louver windows



Sept. 15, 1959 1 M. F. 'RATTAY 2,903,727

v SQUEEGEE FOR LouvER w1Nnows- Filed Dec, 19, 195s INVENToR. MTU/IJ RATY United States Patent hcc 2,903,727 SQUEEGEE Fon LoUvER WINDOWS l Matthew F. Rattay, Encino,-Calif. f

Application December 19, 1956, Serial No. 629,304 4` claims. (cl. 1s 121) This invention relates to the problem of cleaningl the glass louvers of alouverwindow and has 'as its general object'to provide 'an improved cleaning tool of the squeegee type, yfor cleaning such louvers, p More particularly the invention aims'tofprovide a squeeg'ee that is ,adapted 'to simultaneously"engage, with ma wiping action, both faces and one edg'eof a glass louver.

Another object is to, provide such a squeegee wherein `a pair of wiping blades vare securely mounted in a holder 'for easy attachrnentan'd detachment. g'

A further Objectis to provide such a'squeegee', of relatively simple yand inexpensive construction. j

Other 'objectsand advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specilictions and appended drawingin which:

' Fig.` 1 is aplan'view'of a ysqut'eegee embodying my invention; I 5;" Fig.l Y2 'is an inverted plan view of the holder'v thereof;

' Fig'fSris ra longitudinal vsectionalview of the'holdenjy ff Fig. 4` is an end view of the' holder with one wiper.` blade installed therein; g

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-1-5 of Fig. 3,;,a/nd. l

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Y', l 1 `Referring nownto the drawings indetail, I have shown -in Fig.Y lyftherepLwas van example. of one formiini-which Ythe-invention may be ernbodiedna squeegee which jcomprises generally a holder A and a pair of blades B which are demountably secured".in';'the zl1older lin appropriate rfworking relation to one another. gib y,

'Thehlder Abo "pr'i'ss -a.M handle 6 of tubular isheet metal construction, formed as a stamping, and spaced, parallel sockets 7 of sectional structure, including front sections 8 that are formed integrally with the handle 6. Socket sections 8 are joined integrally to handle 6 by a bridge 9 of triangular form. Bridge 9 includes lateral parts that are curled rearwardly from the tlat front portion thereof to provide reinforcing channels 10 extending in flared relation from the handle 6 to the outer extremities of socket Isections 8. The curvature of channels 10 is gradually broadened to ia point where the margins of the metal sheet composing handle 6 come together along the joinder line 11, where said margins are 'abutted.

The holder A includes a detachable section 12 which comprises a pair of socket sections 13 complementary to the `socket sections 8 and having lateral margins in abutting relation to sections 8. Socket sections 13 are joined by a generally flat bridge 14 of isosceles trapezoid form, having at its end a lip 15 bent at right angles to the body therjeof and in fulcrumming engagement with the inner face of bridge member 9.

Bridge member 9 is inclined at a low yangle relative to the axis of handle 6, to join the socket lingers 7 which have their parallel llongitudinal axes disposed in a plane lying substantially on the axis of handle 6. Bridge 14 is inclined, with reference to the socket sections 13, at approximately the same angle so as to lie generally 2,903,727 Patented Sept. 15, 1959 parallel to bridge 9, and in spaced relation thereto determined bythe depth of lip 15.

yAt theirinner margins, bridge members 9 and 14 have narrow portions thereof constituting jaws .16 and 17 extending transversely between lingers 7 in planes parallel to the handle axis, as continnations of the marginal lips 18 of lingers 7. Jaw 17 is offset slightly outwardly from the inclined portion of bridge 9 to provide a shoulder 1 9. Delined between jaws 16 and 17 with the shoulder 19 as the vback thereof, is a transversely elongated rectangular socket -in which is received a short strip 20 of sponge rubber'or equivalent yielding wiping material which is adapted to engage the lateral edge of a glass louver C (Fig. 4).

The lingers 7, as indicated in Fig. 4, have a cross section of horseshoe shape, including the spaced lips 18 connected by a channel 21 of segmental cylindrical form, extending somewhat more than of cylindrical con- -figuration.v Lips 18 define an opening that is restricted in relation to the lspace within channel 21. The median planes of socket fingers 7, as determined by the joinder 31 (Fig. 4) -are inclined with reference to the common `plane vof the longitudinal axes of lingers 7, at an angle of approximately 30, so that the lingers 7 will support a pair of wiper blades B in correspondingly inclined positions.

The wiper blades B each comprise a body of sponge rubber of the like, 23, having a thickened bead 24 along the outer lateral `margin thereof, and aback channel 25 of 'sheet metal including a widened loop portion adapted to snugly lit within a respective socket linger 7 and to be securely grasped thereby, together with a guard flange 26 -formed as an extension of one side of 'the channel 25. The-,guard ilange 26 is broadly curved away from the 'median plane of the channel 25 so as to back tup the resilient blade 23 in a manner such that the latter may llex v'into supported contact with the guard llange.

Wiperblades B are insertable and removable from the sockets 7 by sliding them lengthwise into and out of the lsockets. When fully inserted, the ends of the back chanfregistering apertures in bridge members 9 and 14. With lip 15 fulcrumming against bridge element 9, the tightening of bolt 27 causes the jaws 16 and 17 to be drawn toward one another to frictionally engage the wiper block 20. Excess compression of block 20 is avoided by engagement of the latenal margins of socket sections 8 and 13, thus limiting the extent to which the jaws 16 and 17 can be drawn together. With the margins of socket sections 8, 13 thus in abutting engagement, the bolt 27 may be tightened to the point where the bridge parts 9 and 14 are bowed slightly toward one another, setting up a spring load which functions in the manner of a lock washer to oppose the loosening of the nut of bolt 27.

Bolt 27 may be loosened to facilitate the insertion and removal of blades B whenever replacement is called for. The tightening of the bolt will bring the linger sections 8, 16 into gripping engagement with the back channels 25 of the blades B, so as to clamp them securely in their working position.

Integnal with lip 15 and extending -along the llaring side margins of bridge 14 are reinforcing flanges 28 which stilfen the bridge 14 and transmit rigidifying torqvue into the linger sections 13.

In the use of my improved squeegee, it is placed in a position where the edge of a glass louver is received between the blades B within the dihedral recess defined by the angular inclination of the blades to one side of the handle axis. The dihedral slant of the blades assists in guiding the louver between the blades. In this initial position of application, the longitudinal axis of the squeel gee may be substantially parallel to the side margin of the louver, By rotating the squeegee about a transverse axis lying along the forward -ed'ge of wiper block v20, the squeegee may be brought to a position wherein the blades 22 extend transversely of the longitudinal axis of the louver, with the full width of the louver embraced between the blades.

In cleaning la louver, the tooi is drawn in the direction corresponding to an upward movement in Fig. 4, the blades 23 iiexing rearwardly and engaging the faces of the louver with a light wiping action for removing therefrom -any previously applied cleaning liquid. Simulta neously, by maintaining wiper block 20 in contact with the edge of the louver, the liquid may be removed from such edge.

I claim:

1. In a squeegee for cleaning window louvers: a holder comprising two sections of stamped metal, lone of said sections including a tubular handle, a pair of blade holding sections disposed in spaced parallel relation on opposite sides of the axis of said handle, and a bridge section joining said sec-tions to said handle and the other section including a pair of socket sections and a bridge section terminating in a lip adapted for `fulcmmming engagement with the first mentioned bridge section, said bridge sections cooperatively dening a transverse rectangular socket for supporting a transverse strip of wiper material; a pair of spaced transversely extending jaws formed as the inner marginal portions of said bridge sections; and a securing element extending through said bridge sections for drawing said socket sections of said two sections and jaws together; said socket sections, when thus drawn together, dening sockets in the form of channels opening toward one another and adapted to receive and secure the backs of a pair of wiper blades; said sockets being of horseshoe shaped cross section7 each including a tubular back and a pair of lips dening a mouth narrower than the socket space within said back; said jaws being formed as substantially coplanar continuations of said socket lips.

2. A squeegee holder as defined in claim l, wherein one of said bridge sections has an offset forming a .rear margin of .its respective jaw and providing a back shoulder extending transversely of the handle axis, for positioning said wiper block.

3. In a squeegee for cleaning the louvers lof louver windows, a holder comprising: a pair of formed sheet metal sections one of which includes at one end a handle, a pair of socket sections at its other end, and a generally at triangular bridge section lintegrally joining said socket sections to said handle in spaced parallel relation on respective sides of the handle axis, said bridge section being inclined at a small angle relative to the handle axis so as to dispose said iinger sections substantially in a plane of said axis; and a complementary section including a pair of socket sections and a second bridge section of generally isosceles trapezoid form havinjg a small end terminating in a lip bent at right angles to the body thereof and adapted to have fulcrumming engagement with the inner face of said first mentioned bridge section, said socket sections having outer marginal edges in abutting relation and cooperating to define wiper blade sockets of substantially horseshoe cross section including spaced back portions cooperatively defining a channel for receiving the back of a wiper blade and marginal lips dening restricted openings along the sides of said sockets, said second mentioned bridge section being inclined wtih respect to its socket section, at an angle corresponding to the aforesaid angle whereby the two bridge sections are disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation; said bridge sections yhaving inner marginal portions disposed substantially parallel to the common plane of said sockets and extending transversely of the handle axis to provide clamping jaws for a short strip of wiper material .for wiping the edge of a window louver, and a bolt extending through registering apertures in said bridge sections and operative to draw said bridge sections toward one another under flexure so as to spring load said socket sections into abut-ting engagement so as to maintain the respective sockets closed and to draw said jaws together into clamping engagement with said Wiper strip.

4. A holder as defined in claim 3., wherein at least one of said bridge portions includes an offset portion between the vbody thereof and its respective jaw, providing a 'transverse shoulder for positioning the .inner edge of said wiper strip in its socket.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,379,232 webb v--- May 24, 1921 `2,225,432 Ginsberg Dec. 17, 1940 2,739,338 weeks Mar. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 159,184 Australia sept. 1o, 1953 

